adminAdelaide Moyo Chronicle Reporter
SIX Somalis, four of them of school going age, have been deported after entering the country illegally near the Victoria Falls Border on Christmas Day.
Mahamed Betuna, 20, Halimo Said, 20, Osman Isaq, 17, Abdisalam Nuuv, 17, Naemo Abdilani, 16 and Fuad Abdi, 14, told Victoria Falls magistrate Rangarirai Gakanje that they were fleeing hunger and war from their country.
The six were arrested after police officers on patrol spotted them around 4AM on Christmas Day and failed to produce travelling documents on demand.
The six pleaded guilty to illegally entering the country.
The magistrate warned, cautioned and discharged them before ordering their deportation.
“The court considered that you’re young and fleeing from a situation in your country. However what you did is illegal. You’re warned and cautioned not to do it again and you’ll be deported to your country,” said Gakanje.
Asked why they committed the offence, Isaq and Abdi burst into tears and said things were not well in their country and they wanted to seek better opportunities elsewhere.
“We’ve problems in Somalia. Our country isn’t doing well and that’s putting a strain on our education. We came here to seek a better future,” said Abdi.
Isaq added: “My parents sent me to come and look for a job because there’s hunger and people are suffering in our country. People are fighting and life isn’t easy for us.”
Prosecuting, Listen Nare, told the court that on Christmas Day at around 4AM Betuna, Said, Isaq, Nuuv, Abdilani and Abdi were seen passing through the Victoria Falls Bridge by Constable Nkomo and Constable Masekwa who were on patrol.
“During that time the two police officers knew that the border was closed and they confronted and stopped the six accused who were walking towards the closed Zimbabwean border,” the prosecutor said.
The court heard that on being asked, it was discovered that the six were Somali nationals who intended to illegally enter Zimbabwe and they were arrested.
Somalia collapsed into anarchy following the overthrow of the military regime of President Siad Barre in 1991.
Since 2012, a new internationally-backed government that was installed has been battling Al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabab insurgents.
Online Reporter